ABSTRACT
Cancer is responsible for approximately 8.8 million deaths each year globally. In the US, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, followed by cancers of the lung, prostate, and colon/rectum. Only heart disease exceeds cancer as the leading cause of death. Approximately 1.7 million people in the US will be diagnosed with cancer in 2018. Cancer is a group of more than 100 diseases linked by the commonality of the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. More than 15.5 million Americans are living with a cancer diagnosis, a figure that is expected to rise to approximately 20 million by 2026. Adherence to screening guidelines is a vital determinant of more favorable treatment outcomes and survival rates, in that cancer detected at an early stage has a considerably better prognosis than does more advanced disease. For most adults, cancer diagnosis and treatment are experienced as profoundly stressful.
